Lost Labor is a series of handmade denim paper works and accompanying photographs. The paper works were produced during a residency at the Morgan Conservatory, and photographs were taken with an iPhone in Cleveland, Ohio.

My visit to Cleveland was the first time I saw in person the en masse effects of the decline of the manufacturing industry in the United States. The beauty of the empty warehouses scattered throughout the city struck me. These structures, once thriving centers of industry, labor, and commerce, were now empty shells. I saw them as evidence of the labor that took place within. However, Cleveland is an amazing, alive city. Many of these structures are now homes for the arts, innovation, and creativity, including the Morgan.

While my initial plans for the work I would make were different, the pieces I made in Cleveland reflected my reflections on labor and loss. Piercing the glittering blue paper with a hammer and punch, I created patterns and forms that felt like emblems or symbols. The holes became evidence of my labor. Where the paper fell away, my efforts are seen.